A battery cell has been proposed as a clean, efficient and environmentally responsible power source for an electric device such as an electric vehicle, for example. Typically, a plurality of individual battery cells such as lithium-ion battery cells, for example, is provided to supply an amount of electric power sufficient to operate the electric device. The plurality of individual battery cells must be physically supported and protected, as well as be in electrical communication with each other and the electrical device. Further, it is often desired to provide cooling to the battery cells during a charging and a discharging thereof and venting to the battery cells to exhaust gasses, liquids, and solids that may be discharged therefrom. A battery pack including a battery assembly is typically provided to support, protect, and provide cooling to the battery cells and facilitate placing the battery cells in electrical communication with each other and the associated electrical device.
It is desirable to support the battery cells and militate against damage thereto during a joining of the adjacent individual battery cells with each other or with an electrical connector. Further, it is desirable to produce a battery assembly, wherein an ease of manufacturing the battery assembly is maximized and a cost thereof is minimized.